The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Penninehillbilly on March 11, 2019, 12:26:26 pm

Title: bullied ewe
Post by: Penninehillbilly on March 11, 2019, 12:26:26 pm

Bit of a dilemma .
I only have 3 sheep, Blackie, born 2012, her daughter and another, both 2 yr old.
Blackie is due in about 6-8 wks. Last week she started acting strange, when I went to feed them she was running away with her head down, over the last week the 2 youngsters have been waiting for breakfast, but I have to go looking for her, she comes to me when I'm on my own. She was bleeding from the base of her horn, and is thinner than I would like. When I did try to feed them together, she ran away when her daughter approached her.
So question is, I could move goats round to clear field shelter, which would give her a small field, shelter and hay rack, but she would be on her own. Obviously i know sheep need company, but what would be best for her?
Any thoughts please?

Title: Re: bullied ewe
Post by: shep53 on March 11, 2019, 12:38:47 pm

The running away with head down  and bleeding from the horn base suggests she has broken her horn at the base , this happens in older leaner blackie ewes and she is scared to knock it while feeding so runs away .  Speak to your vet as infection will set in , sorry but it probably needs to come off

Title: Re: bullied ewe
Post by: Penninehillbilly on March 11, 2019, 01:54:44 pm

Her name is Blackie, dont know what breed, part swaley.
I heard a tussle at a feed bucket just before she started acting strange, so I presume one of the youngster butted her head. (There were plenty of feeders, no need to fight over one) She is fine when the others aren't around. I'll keep an eye on that horn, she always did have weak horns, now i think about it, she used to knock them off when she was younger.
But would she be OK on her own? Maybe I could leave a couple of the goats fastened in the back of the shelter, she was raised with goats.

Title: Re: bullied ewe
Post by: shep53 on March 11, 2019, 06:48:55 pm

Be careful , I have seen plenty of pus filled horns and once it comes off all is good again  .  If she is old and calm then she should be fine on her own since other animals are near bye .  The horn may even wobble when she moves so causing discomfort .

Title: Re: bullied ewe
Post by: Penninehillbilly on March 11, 2019, 10:55:04 pm

Thanks Shep, she was with the others this afternoon so left her for today.